Seafood squall irks experts

Observers rap U.S. report seeking boycott of Canadian fisheries over whale issue

A North Atlantic right whale mother is seen in the Bay of Fundy. A U.S. environmental group says Canadian fishing practices are putting whales at risk, which local industry officials deny. (Jessica Taylor / New England Aquarium)

Lobster and crab fisheries on Canada’s East Coast are unfairly maligned in an American report condemning them for endangering the North Atlantic right whale, some industry observers in Halifax said Wednesday.

“A call for a boycott of Canadian seafood is misplaced and would be ineffective if ever implemented,” said Robert Rangeley, a marine expert for the Atlantic region with World Wildlife Federation Canada.

The Los Angeles advocacy group Natural Resources Defense Council has called for an American boycott of Canadian seafood producers who ignore United States regulations aimed at protecting the endangered North Atlantic right whale.

Lobster and crab fisheries on the East Coast threaten to push the species to near extinction due to negligent fishing methods and regulations, the council said Tuesday at a news conference.

It was part of a council call for boycotts of a range of seafood products that threaten endangered marine mammals around the world.

Rangeley said targeting the East Coast lobster and crab fisheries is a misguided move because there are so many other factors affecting the right whale’s plight.

“The lobster fishery is making huge strides to protect the right whale in Eastern Canada. And the crab fishery poses a negligible threat to critical habitats of the species, so it is a bit of mystery why it is included.”

He said the World Wildlife Federation has monitored the endangered right whale for many years, and wants Fisheries and Oceans Canada to introduce new management policies for the lobster fishery to reduce the impact on the right whale.

“The issue is rope in the water, and this comes from other fisheries besides the lobster fishery. There are also concerns about ships striking the whales, and in this regard, we’ve seen protective measures introduced in recent years.”

Geoff Irvine, with the Lobster Council of Canada, said the defence council’s criticism of the East Coast lobster and crab fisheries is confusing because Canada has policies in place to protect the right whale that compare and exceed U.S. ones.

“We have all kinds of measures in place to avoid right whale contact, and this includes regular aerial surveys to track right whale movements.”

The council said the unintentional capture of animals in fishing gear, or bycatch, was pushing some marine mammal populations to the brink of extinction.

“Until the U.S. enforces the law, which requires importing countries to prove they are meeting American standards, consumers can play a role in protecting whales, dolphins and sea lions by choosing American-caught seafood,” the defence council said in a news release.